


Even If It's Just Pretend

by threeturn



Series: tumblr fic [3]
Category: One Direction (Band), Taylor Swift (Musician)
Genre: Crack, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-26 07:22:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7565275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/threeturn/pseuds/threeturn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Niall, would you say I’m a good dancer?” Harry asks one day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Even If It's Just Pretend

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](http://valencing.tumblr.com/post/123924611877/re-harry-auditioning-as-taylors-backup-dancer), now migrating some of my shortest fics from tumblr for safekeeping.

“Niall, would you say I’m a good dancer?” Harry asks one day. 

“You’re rubbish,” says Niall briefly and goes back to watching his game. 

“No, really,“ says Harry. 

“Really rubbish,” says Niall, and then, when he sees Harry’s face: “Well, don’t mope about it, we’re all rubbish.“ 

“What if I wanted to get better?” says Harry. 

“Why would you want to do a thing like that?“ 

“No reason,” says Harry. 

* 

Every time Niall walks past Harry’s bunk, Harry’s watching more clips from Taylor’s tour. 

"Mate,“ says Niall, "Don’t put yourself through that." 

"I want your honest opinion,” says Harry. 

"Oh god,“ says Niall. There are questions like _Do you believe in soulmates?_ and _Do you think she ever really loved me?_ and _I’m way cuter than Karlie Kloss, right?_ that Niall’s had to answer so many times already. 

"Have a look at this,” says Harry. “Do you think that would be difficult?" 

Niall peers at the screen. Taylor is swaying in the arms of one of her dancers. "She’s just kinda moving back and forth, isn’t she?" 

"I meant the bloke." 

"Oh, him,” says Niall. “He’s moving back and forth too." 

"I could do that,” says Harry. 

* 

"Whoa,“ says Niall when Harry emerges from the hotel bathroom. "Fuck me, Harry, the fuck did you do?" 

"It’s just an experiment,” says Harry quickly. “Do I still look like me?" 

Niall squints at him. "Goddamn, I forgot about your ears." 

"What’s wrong with my ears?” Harry asks suspiciously. 

"Nothing!“ says Niall. "They’re cute. Cute ears.” He reaches out to touch them. “Why are you wearing a wig?" 

"I was just wondering,” says Harry, “like, if I covered up my tattoos and cut my hair and went to the audition, she wouldn’t even recognize me, right?" 

"Audition,” repeats Niall, still holding one of Harry’s earlobes between thumb and forefinger. “She." 

"Taylor. Obviously." 

"Harry,” says Niall. “You’ve already got a job." 

* 

"We need to practice,” says Harry. 

"We don’t do that,“ says Niall. 

"I don’t mean for _our_ show, I mean for Taylor." 

Niall stares at him. 

Harry sighs like Niall is the thickest person he’s ever met. "Let’s say we were all performing at the same specialty concert, and one of her dancers had appendicitis, and she needed a dancer at the last minute and I was there. You really want me to have to say, _No, Taylor, I can’t help you, I’m going to have to let you down again_?" 

Niall knows that he needs to be gentle about this, because Harry is more emotionally fragile than he seems, and his feelings are easily hurt. "That’s not gonna happen,” he says finally, leaving the “idiot” unsaid. 

"You don’t know that.“ Harry puts a hand on his shoulder. "Niall, I’m just a boy standing in front of another boy asking him to help him become a back-up dancer." 

"Look, I can’t make people get appendicitis for you,” Niall says. He wishes he could, for Harry’s sake. He stopped being jealous a long time ago. 

"We’ll worry about that later,“ says Harry. "C'mere." 

* 

A half hour later, Harry is kind of sweaty and Niall’s fingers keep getting caught in his hair and pulling it accidentally. 

” _They take their shots, but we’re bulletproof_ ,” Niall sings. 

“Hmm,“ says Harry. "Maybe if you could be a little more, like, diva about it." 

” _They take their shots_ ,” Niall tries again, and then breaks off. “Harry, we’re supposed to be teaching you how to dance, not teaching me how to be Taylor Swift.“ 

Harry gives Niall that sad look. That _Taylor named a whole song after me and didn’t even ask me to be in the video_ look. "It would just help me feel it, Niall." 

"God, fine,” says Niall. He sings, “ _And you know for me it’s always you_ ,” and tugs Harry around to face him. 

"That’s not the choreo,“ says Harry.

"But this is how I’m feeling it,” says Niall. “ _In the dead of night, your eyes so green_ …Pull me closer, like in a manly way." 

Harry looks into Niall’s eyes and pulls him closer.

"She’ll love this,” says Niall, letting his hips sway forward into Harry’s. “ _And I know for you, it’s always me_." 

Harry holds him even tighter. His hands are low on Niall’s back. "God,” he says. “It’s so humbling, you know? That she wrote this _masterpiece_ about _me_." 

Niall puts his lips to Harry’s ear. "You have a stiffy,” he whispers. 

"Shit,“ says Harry. "Sorry, mate.” But his whole body is still pressed to Niall’s body.

"You know what?“ says Niall. "We should practice _Wildest Dreams_.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title from _Wildest Dreams_ , lyrics from _I Know Places_ , both on Taylor Swift's _1989_.


End file.
